LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR NEW MAIN LIBRARY

LONG BEACH, California, January 15, 2019 – The Long Beach Public Library Foundation with support from Mayor Robert Garcia announced today at the State of the City the public launch of its New Main Campaign. The Campaign’s $3 million goal is to support programs and enhancements at the new Main Library, the central base of the Long Beach Public Library system which serves approximately 1 million visitors each year. The new Main Library is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019.

All supporters who donate $25 or more to the campaign in the first year of the new library’s operation will be recognized as New Main Campaign Founding Donors.

“The New Main Campaign gives everyone in the city a chance to be a part of the foundation of the new main hub of the Long Beach Public Library. Any donation amount makes a difference and will be an investment in the future of Long Beach,” said Barbara Schwerin, president of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation Board of Directors.

“I have always been a believer that education is the most important investment we can make and our Main Library provides vital resources to our community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I encourage everyone who can to support this campaign so that our new Main Library is fully equipped to serve our community for generations to come.”

The new 93,000 square foot Main Library’s features will include:

Sustainable design of the entire structure that is on track to attain a LEED Gold or better rating from the U.S. Green Building Council;

Increased access for the disabled through specialized equipment in the Center for Adaptive Technology;

New Veterans Resource Centerand Citizenship Corner to help the community navigate and apply for services;

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, provides support to enhance the Main Library and 11 neighborhood branches of the Long Beach Public Library and encourages literacy and education for all members of the community. LBPLfoundation.org

Main Library Turns the Page

In 1977, the current Main Library opened to the public in the Long Beach Civic Center. As the central hub of the Long Beach Public Library system, the Main Library houses much of the Library’s collection of over 800,000 items, supports the needs of all of the branch libraries in Long Beach, serves as the piloting location for new innovative programs, and houses most of the Library’s advanced technology resources. After 42 years of serving the city, the Main Library will close its doors for good on January 18, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. to prepare for the opening of the new Main Library later this year.

In 2017, the Long Beach Public Library received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for libraries, thanks in great part to the resources and services offered at the Main Library. The new Main Library will build off of this innovative and enriching environment with an upgraded makerspace Studio, 3D printing lab, Family Learning Center, Children’s Library, Teen Library, Veterans Resource Center, Center for Adaptive Technology, and many more resources for all library patrons to enjoy. Learn more about supporting these educational opportunities at LBPLfoundation.org/newmain.

While we will miss the current Main Library, we are excited for the next chapter and the amazing memories we will create in the new Main Library.

The Main Library auditorium has held many events including weekly film screenings.

In 2015, the Main Library became the first public library in California to carry a Zine collection highlighting the voices of local writers and artists.

In 2012, with support from the Library Foundation, the Main Library opened the Studio, a makerspace learning lab where patrons of all ages can learn graphic design, 3D printing, robotics, coding, photography, and more.

A Studio Guide holds a 3D printed prosthetic hand printed and programmed in the Main Library Studio.

The Miller Special Collections Room was made possible thanks to a generous gift in 1974 from Loraine Miller Collins in memory of her late husband, Earl Burns Miller. The room is modeled after a room in the Miller home and contains rare texts dating back to the 15th century, Chinese and Japanese art and ceramics, and American and European art and photographs. The Miller Special Collections Room has hosted several author and poetry readings through the years highlighting local writers and poets.

Preview of the new Main Library – Long Beach Post feature

It has been almost 14 months since the celebration of the first steel beam erected at the construction site of the new Main Library. Since then, the Library has truly taken shape and is well on its way to becoming a premier public center of learning when it opens in the summer of 2019.

On October 31, the Long Beach Post joined the Library Foundation for a tour of the new Main Library construction site. Click the link below to see the feature with beautiful new photos and read why the Library is being called, “one of the most important investments in the public in recent years.”

Grunion Gazette: Long Beach Rotary Steps Up Again To Foster Literacy

New Main Library Starts Steel and Celebrates Centennial Year Donation from the Rotary Club of Long Beach

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia at the New Main Library Start of Steel Celebration.

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation receives a donation from the Rotary Club of Long Beach in support of the New Main Library.

“There is nothing more exciting than celebrating a center for learning,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia as he addressed the crowd at the New Main Library Start of Steel Celebration.

On September 19, Long Beach librarians, library supporters, and our city leaders gathered to celebrate and sign the first steel beam bolted in place at what will soon become the New Main Library. The Rotary Club of Long Beach marked the occasion with a Centennial Year gift of $250,000 to the Library Foundation in support of early literacy at the new library.

The new 92,500 square-foot facility is expected to open in the summer of 2019 and will truly be a library of the 21st century with updated and enhanced resources for patrons of all ages and backgrounds.

Long Beach Public Library Foundation Board President, J.P. Shotwell thanked Rotary for their generous gift. “We ask that you, the community, support our efforts in any way that you can,” encouraging those who would like to make a gift, big or small, to support the Foundation as we prepare for our New Main Campaign.

Our Purpose

In 1996, the Long Beach Public Library Foundation began with a mission to provide support to enhance Long Beach Public Libraries and encourage literacy and education for all members of the community. We carry that vision with us to this day.

Support Us!

Thank you for donating to the Long Beach Public Library Foundation! Your generosity allows us to support the Long Beach Public Library and encourage literacy and education for all members of the community.